Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-08-02
THE BOSS DEADHEAD.

HNe toWhs oI the territory. faste THIS
In your hat and reflect on il.
THE BOSS DEADHEAD.
Joseph Keppier's Fall Between Two Rap
Idly Moving Trains.
Joseph Keppler, who halls from Chi.
cago and lays claim to the title Of
champion deadhead, is now In New
York. He has msde dead dheading q
science, and boasts Of travelling over
10000 miles on railroads without hav-
ing paid q cent Of fare.
Keppler stood in front Of . Third
street saloon to-day, chewing the bar
rem end Of match, when reporter
engaged him In conversation.
"How did come here T? 4" he said, in
answer to question. "On the cars, Of
course" and as II contemplating the
next query, he added: without pay
ing cent, either. I've deadheaded IL
all over this country. Been from
Maine 10 San Francisco four times in
as many years. No, don't always get
through az quick IA pay passenger,
but get there all the same. I've had
some rough experiences. Been put off
Ia snow and ice, where there wasn'ta
house around for miles, but / caught
on again. You see many OF these rail.
readers know me. and many time
they've made me jump from train
without Stacking Ter up.
"The most thrilling experience I
ever had was on a train on the Penn
sylvania railroad going between
Johnstown and Altoona over the
mountains. | boarded her at Johns
town, and as luck would have il the
conductor sDied me on the platform
before we'd gone many miles. You
see, sometimes the conductor don't 20
through the train between these sta
tions, as they don't make any stops,
and fellow has chance 10 90
through, but this time was caught.
knew I'd be put off right in the
centre Of the Allegheny mountains.
and the thought of il chilled me. The
night was dark, so that you couldn't
see your hand before your face. I
looked around, thinking could hide
myself, but that was out Of the ques-
tion. | was standing on the last step
and happened to look around the cor
ner of the car. The window next 10
where stood was open, and l hit on
bold plan. Whew, 1t makes me
shiver to think Of il, and never want
to go through the likes again, not for
all the railroads in the United States.
"Well, sir, when cav the conduc.
tor come from the other end OF the car
| swung round to the side, caught
hold Of the window sash and hung
there. Just then the conductor
opened the door, expecting to ind me
on the platform. He felt for me in
the darkness, / suppose, but he never
dreamt To look for me on the side of
a car. He went on into the next car.
Ny arms were growing tired, aud I
was glad to get back on the platform
again. To my great horror, however,
| couldn't reach the steps again. Ter
ror seized me. knew | couldn't hold
on another minute. / would have to
drop and be mangled under the
wheels. | yelled as loud as could,
but that was useless; no one could
hear me.
"I thought | was lost, aud made up
my mind TO that when | heard the
whistle of train on the other track.
| could hear her come laundering
along. II | dropped then | knew l
would fall on the track on which the
west bound train was TO pass and be
ground to pieces. The glare Of the
headlight shone upon me. l felt the
strong current of air from the passing
train. | also felt my grasp relaxing,
and that was the last knew. | had
dropped right between the two trains
between the two tracks and never was
touched. The engineer Of the west
bound train had noticed me by the
light from the locomotive clinging to
my perilous position, and saw me
drop. He ran back for me. picked me
up and brought me to Johnssown
again. IL was a miracle, Of course,
that | escaped death. I've been on
top OF cars .early frozen. rode along
for sixty miles on truck OF car, but
never had such rough experience be.
fore and never want to again"
"And say, young man." he contin-
ued, ''if you ever 90 travelling like me,
avoid steamships. / went rs stow
away one time, and III tell you what
happened. After three days out at
sea was discovered. The captain
said TO me: Young man, you'll have
to 20 to work He set me to scraping
off paint for nine days. AT the end OF
that time we reached port, and In.
stead Of being allowed to land, l was
placed In irons and kept there until
we left, when | was liberated and set
to work again all the way TO New
York, where they let me go. never
went 10 sea again. Railroads are good